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3 exp

It was going to be one of those lazy days again. Sun barely escaped through the leaf roof above the trees. Balthazar was taking a nap on his small house on one of the trees that surrounded Nayru. The house only consisted of a simple room with a roof made of a sturdy wood which could be gotten from any of the trees in Nayru. There was really only a piece of thin wool which Balthazar called a bed in his house. It certainly wasn't one of those houses people were meant to live in. It was understandable though since Balthazar was rarely home. Most of the time he was abroad which explained the.. simple nature of his homey home.

The city of Nayru was bustling with people right from the start of the morning. The market was filled with different salesmen, most which were dwarves, trying to sell the biggest garbage with highest prices. They were so loud that the shrieking actually woke Balthazar from his sleep. He glanced down from his abode and saw the market filled with stalls which were in terms filled with glittery junk. None of those were even remotely interesting for Balthazar, so he just tried to sleep some more. Of course he couldn't sleep since the bestest buddy of all just happened to come harass Balthazar out of his sleep.

”HEEEEEYYYY!! Balthyyy!! What.. ?! Are you STILL sleeping?!””. . .””Wakey wakey! Is me, Inpa!””. . . Go away””Ha! You're awake! Get up! We got loads of work to do today!”

*Loud grumbling*

”.. What do you mean we?””I'll tell you once we get there! LET'S GOO!!””. . .””C'mon big guy! It's not like you got anything better to do””.. I'm sleeping””No you're not. You're talking to me! You can't sleep and talk tom someone at the same time unless you're a whiz or something””.. Ugh, fine””Ha! I knew you'd do it buddy! You're an excellent resource of material for my research!””.. Do what? And what research? Not those darn pl-””No no no no no!! Nothing like that this time! You just have to kill those pesky rats from Madame Flaura's attic!””W-what?!”

And so Balthazar's boring day got itself a complete makeover handmade by Inpa ni Thesas, a rather young high elf with a jolly nature. He had a troubling effect to cause unnecessary quarrels for Balthazar. Killing rats was one of those few quarrels but the list doesn't stop there. Of course Balthazar's life wasn't threatened.. at least most of the time.

Inpa is small for an elf, standing only around 5 feet and having a very skinny body. His hair is rich in yellow but he likes to add different colors into it every now and then. Sometimes he has shocked people by turning his hair into rainbow-colored punk hair. At the moment his hair is yellow with a few blue lines here and there. He is rather handy with alchemy, thus he does a lot of experiments with stuff like his hair.
His hair is rather short, ending before it reaches his shoulders. Inpa has a set of big round ears and a small nose, couple that with a set of big bottle glasses and you get a ner-.. I mean Inpa. He tends to wear a white coat with lots of different splashes of color in it.

The two walked through the market area and they remembered it for a while. The salesmen were screaming right into their ears their lowliest of low prices. Both their hearing suffered after experiencing the joy of the market. Neither of them however didn't glance even once what was on sale that day. Balthazar figured it must've been something related to Moon Day since it was approaching again.

After walking out of the market area, the duo climbed the stairs and arrived to Madame Flaura's estate. It was like all the rest of the houses with a bunch of round shapes and white color in it. The job would've been easy if the resident, Flaura, would've been a sane one. She was one of those slightly unbalanced ones, and most people knew her because of her undying love to flowers.

”I can smell something really strong coming from inside.. I wonder what it could be?””. . .”

Balthazar opened the door and almost choked at the flowery scent of Flaura's home. Breathing was very hard since the smell was so strong. Inpa was already looking unwell and he had only spent a good 5 minutes inside the estate. The estate was two floors high, the walls were ”painted” with actual flowers of all kinds. Wherever you looked, whatever you looked, it was covered with flowers. The estate reminded more of a greenhouse than a home. Soon the two were alerted with the presence of the owner of the house: Madame Flaura.
She was as oddly dressed as always.. it seemed today's theme was rose. She was wearing a large cotton dress covered in rose pattern, her hat was really big and pink with flowers in it. She was also leaning on a white cane.

”What do I see before me.. ? A Hortensia opuloides and a.. Menyanthes?”

Inpa quickly summoned a book consisting knowledge about all kinds of flora and browsed what these two flowers were.

”The first one is Hortensia and it's meaning is.. Eh.. ?? Carelesness?? She must mean you Balthy””. . .””Mm, yes! A Menyanthes without a doubt!””The second is Buck-bean and it's meaning is.. quietness. Oh shucks, guess I'm Hortensia then””.. You had a rat problem, ma'am?””Indeed! Those pesky Cytisus laburnum are savagely eating my dear Lilac alba!!””O-okay let's see.. the first one is blackness and the second one is.. youth? What.. ? Is blackness eating her youth away.. ?!””.. I believe she means that the rats are eating her flowers””Go, GO! Before it's too late! Deal with this problem immediately!””.. Yes, ma'am””RIGHT AWAY!!”

Balthazar climbed the stairs up all the way to the attic with Inpa closely behind him. The attic looked just like the rest of the house: filled with flowers. However among the flowers could be seen the evil whispers of rats which chewed the flowers mercilessly.
”Look Balthy! There's a rat there!! Use your Magic Art!””.. We are indoors. My katana will do””W-wait Balthy! Don't KILL them!!”

Balthazar sighed and looked at Inpa. He was tired of him changing his way of doing things all the time.

”There is no other way. They will just multiply rapidly if we leave them here””Y-yeah b-but..””.. Life isn't always about butterflies and peace Inpa. It's time for you to learn that””Life CAN be all about butterflies and peace if I so want!! You won't thrash my dreams you big meany!””. . .”

Balthazar formed himself a bag through alchemy by exchanging a few flowers from the attic. Then he started rigorously cathing all the rats and throwing them in the back. In the end there were 6 rats in the bag. Balthazar handed the bag to Inpa and headed downstairs.

”.. Time to do something about that dream of yours then. Get rid of those””B-but.. eww.. these guys stink.. !!”

Downstairs Madame Flaura was watering her flowers with a pleasant look on her face. She turned to look at Balthazar and Inpa who was holding the bag of rats. She looked closely at the bag and then continued watering her flowers.

”Off you go sprouts! Your job is done here! The payment is in the envelope on the table”

Balthazar grabbed the envelope and saw two red and blue Rupees inside. He wasn't too pleased of the payment's size but at least it was something. He gave one red and blue one to Inpa and walked outside of the intoxicating estate.

”Alright! This is the sprout of millions!””. . .””Well, I gotta get rid of these! See ya later Balthy!”

With that Inpa left and Balthazar was left alone. He glanced to the colosseum which seemed to roar more than usually. Perhaps Nilak was showing off again? Suddenly the shadow of a dragon swoop past, it was no doubt Valham. Balthazar decided to head to the colosseum, he wasn't going to fight, he just wanted to see if there was anything worthwhile to watch. Once he reached the colosseum, he gave the Rupees he had just gained to get access to the crowd. The colosseum was packed with people, Nilak had surely fought there recently. It seemed the next contestant was just about to arrive. Balthazar sat down and looked down to see who the contestant was.

Opening Post - 3 EXP

The streets of Monark that lead to the main square are paved with brown stones so that carts and horses can easily ride over them. It is necessary in such a big city for as main city of Amn lots of people move through the streets on a day. Of course the streets are less paved as you come in the outer regions of the city and after the gate it completely stops. Most of the stones are neatly placed next to each other so that there is no gab between them where a wheel could get stuck or a horse could twist its leg. Of course you always have stones that have, through the course of time, loosened and have come up, so that they are sticking out a bit. Those stones are treacherous for you can easily trip over them when you aren’t careful.

On this day a particular stone on a particular road in the city of Monark was waiting for its next victim. Someone who would come running towards it, trip over it and smack on the ground with a loud thud. If a stone could laugh, he would do it then (even though a stone cannot laugh, nor does it stick out just to be mean and have some fun). But today the stone wouldn’t get its fun it seemed. Surely a person come walking towards it in a casual pace and surely the person concerning would have tripped if that person hadn’t known the city. But unfortunately for the stone this person knew the city. Probably better then the stone itself for it only knew his place next to other stones on that particular road.

But enough about stones. This story isn’t about a stone that tried to get people trip. This story is about the person that came walked towards the stone and easily stepped over it. No thought about the stone ever crossed this persons mind to be precise. (Which can be considered sad, but since a stone doesn’t have any feelings it doesn’t mind).

The person, who was currently enjoying the morning sun, was wearing a long and rough dark green cloak that looked like it had withstand a lot and had traveled to many placed were the weather hadn’t been always that great. It was rugged and had several spots on it that were drained of its color. Still it looked warm and strong. The material swayed loosely around the small figure that wore the cloak and had a perfect length. So precise that it just showed a pair of beige boots sticking out under it. When a sudden gust of wind blew the cloak up tanned trousers were revealed, that covered some of the black skin of the person together with an upper part of the same color. Red eyes peered from under the cap to the world.

Thud.

Slowly the person turned around and looked down upon a Beastkin that lay sprawled out over the ground behind her. He was tall and sinewy and even though he wore a cloak just like the one from the person concerning you could see that his fur was yellow and spotted with black spots.

“Calm down Askari – haha – really calm down okay? You are making a commotion.”

A sudden feeling came over Askari as he noticed that people were staring at them. Vice gave him a nudge with her elbow (which only reached his belly), winked and turned around, still chuckling. The Beastkin followed while mumbling some soft curses in his own language. Luckily for the bystanders they couldn’t make them out.

----

“Aw come on As, you aren’t still mad at me, are you?” Vice asked the Beastkin as they sat opposing each other in a small bar. The windows of it were so dirty that it almost seemed evening inside.

“I’m going to kill that stone.” Askari grumbled.

Vice rolled her eyes. “Well that won’t do any good since it isn’t alive to begin with.”

“Don’t try to outsmart me Vice.”

“I ain’t trying.”

If looks could kill, Vice was so death. Askari let it drop. There was no way he could overcome Vice in words. “So this is Monark hea?” He said, looking around.

“No, this is Palo.”

“Vice!”

“What? That is such an obvious question. I mean where would we be otherwise?”

“I’m trying to hold a conversation with you here, you know. You ain’t helping.”

He looked to her with an irritated face. Now that her cap was removed her soft white hair was painfully visible in the slumbering darkness, the same for her red eyes. It were the only two things that seemed to light up from her since her skin was the midnight blue color that was so common for dark elves. If he hadn’t known her he would be scared of her, really. She might be small, but inside she was at least as big as he.

Suddenly she stood up. “Think you can keep yourself busy for some hours?”

“Sure. Wait… What?”

“I have to go somewhere.” She nudged with her head to a man that was about to leave. “That guy works at the library.”

“How can you be so sure? I mean you haven’t been here for how long? Fifty years?”

“I just know.”

Again Askari let it go. There was no convincing Vice otherwise if she had set her mind onto something. As for her memory, she was scary good at remembering things that was true.

“Fine, where do we meet each other again?”

“Erak’s Amulets, little shop on the main square.” She walked away, placing her cap again over the head.

“Wait! Where is the main square?”

She turned around. “Just follow the stone road to the north. All roads of stone lead to it. Be careful not to trip over stones again.” Her white teeth were visible for a moment as she grinned, then she was gone.

Askari gritted his teeth and resolved that he would get Vice back for that.

Last edited by Fieryfly; 12-05-2010 at 03:12 PM.

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist."
"However," replied the universe,
"this hasn't created in me
a sense of obligation."

THREE EXP :D Oh the mystery...!

************

A dream of nothingness. A world of chance.
What will you chase after? What can you hold dear? Who will be waiting at the end?
Nothing. No one.

The 2nd Night: Awakening

When she opened her eyes, a haze had befallen the land around her. Standing proved futile, for the haze had taken a toll on her now trembling legs. Only her head moved, despite how stiff it felt. Was this the same vision she had perceived not so long ago? The exhilarating movements. The blissful unity. The fire growing at its core. Did any of those festivities happen, or was her mind deceiving her? Without uttering a sound, she pressed her forehead upon the ground. Begging. Praying. Wishing someone could hear her cries from within--

"Rise, pitiful spirit, lest your naivety beckons destruction."

There was no form attached to the voice, no direction to seek it out. Was it echoing inside her mind, deep within her? Why had it chosen her to speak to? How long had it known of her existance? Despite her confusion, she obeyed the command, as if in a trance.
What would she fear?
Where could she run?
Why would she fight?
Who could she protect? Cherish? Hold until their bodies go limp from death?

"Forsakened one, who feigns existance, know that all which lives in Amn are precious to one another. Live with faith. Die with content. All else become tainted with regret. A spirit which is disconnected from all shall be the mark of suffering."

"...But, I am...alive..." Glancing downwards, she traced the curves of each of her ghastly blue fingers, which gave off the impression that she had risen from death. In a way, that's exactly what she had did. She was given life from...the moons? The moons weaved in and out of sight, replaced by a sphere much brighter and far more cruel than her givers of life: the sun. Everyone and everything bathed in the sun's rays, while she watched from the shadows, unable to step into the light as well. She watched as mothers cradled their beloved children. She watched as friends laughed together and wept together. Then she returned to the spot of her awakening. Alone.

"...You're lonely because you're looking at everything and everyone you can't have beside you. Well, listen up, moon elf! You're my 'master', so you better not ignore me! I only follow respectable 'masters', so stop wallowing in despair and do something!"
************

"...Oren, ...thank you."

Vita blanked away her earliest memories, which often haunted her, as if some message resided deep within them. How important that message was remained unclear. Wandering without a purpose, susceptible to all kinds of foul creatures, wasn't something she wanted to remember. That was proven by the uneasy sigh that escaped her lips as she lifted her head from the ground.

"Ah-ahhhaawaaahhhh! V-Vi-i-it-ta!" Oren's tiny body had been resting upon Vita's many waves of hair. It felt like soft cushions melting into one another, and offered the best sleep. The only problem was that the person attached to those cushions often jerked upwards upon awakening. To think she had kindly thanked Oren, only to nearly send him flying into the mighty tree a few feet away to the left, which could have killed him! His only salvation came from getting tangled in Vita's locks. Despite how soft it was, without proper combing and brushing, it became a labyrinth that was harder to escape the more you struggle, and Oren was struggling a lot.

"Oren..." Vita managed to free her fairy friend, who fluttered in front of her like a drunkard who had too much to drink. "I told you how dangerous it is to sleep in my hair."

"If my 'master' wouldn't mumble in her sleep, I wouldn't have to come to the rescue! Besides, you're a calm sleeper, up until you wake up. Honestly, you're like a princess who becomes a monster upon opening your eyes. Why can't you...hey, are you listening?!"

High above the pillers of wood resided Nayru, where elves could test their courage in the common half of the city, or increase their knowledge in the richer half. Vita often spent a majority of her time in the latter, or, more specifically, the Elven Library. The rest of Nayru was far too nosy, their shouts mingling together booming so loudly that she could catch fragments of sound from where she now stood. No, perhaps everyone was more rowdy then usual. At any rate, the glistening of jades above her head as sunlight poured upon the lofty trees declared that the day was at its peak of activeness. If she didn't hurry, the sun would start to descend from high in the sky and the Elven Library wouldn't be as welcoming as it is in the morning.

"--and stop gawking at sky and the tree tops! Have you learned nothing over the years? Wash yourself, dust off your dress, and get ready to sneak into Nayru.""Don't use such a devious word. We are merely taking a longer, more challenging method of entering Nayru.""Climbing trees instead of walking through the gate into Nayru is called sneaking into Nayru!""Everyone I asked for directions either lied or ran away, so climbing is better then being marked as suspicious.""Oh, and sneaking into Nayru isn't suspicious?"

A beat, and no response. Two beats. Three beats. In the interval of silence, Vita strolled through an undergrowth, being careful as to not bump her head on the thick branches above her. On the other side was translucent water tinted by a tranquil blue. Unlike Vita's skin, the spring glowed with the innocence of a child trapped in an eternity of purity. Anything truly tainted would seethe as if their skin was on fire the moment it dipped itself into its depth. Of course, to be tainted is to selfishly reject all else except what is precious to you, which frightened Vita at first. She distanced herself from the living and focused only on summoning...and Oren. Wouldn't that make her tainted? Then she learned that it wasn't hatred, bitterness, or any signs of regret that kept her away from the living; it was fear. The living are tangible before life and after death, but what about her? If she was truly a mark of suffering--

"Hey, does your silence mean--"

Oren had secretely glided by Vita's shoulder and screamed into her ear, startling her. The yelp that came from her mouth reminded Vita of what happened to Oren earlier, which made his actions seem a bit suspicious. His burst of laughter as Vita tumbled into the spring only confirmed her suspicions: he had gotten his revenge on her. Bubbles formed on the surface, giving way to a frowning Vita. Her dress was soaked, and she certainly didn't have spares. That meant the dispute had finally come to an end--at least, to her it did.

"I'll have to dry on our climb to Nayru. We certainly wouldn't want to be seen in such a state on the main road, no?""Are you serious? If we're seen on the main road as a majestic fairy with a drenched moon elf, they'd take pity on us!""They would most certainly think we got what we deserved. Even if they do pity us, as you so believe, they would deem themselves superior to us, which would degrade not only my status as a moon elf, thus leading to further danger for all moon elves, but your 'majestic' demeanor. Do you truly want to become a pixie?""Why are you so unfun?!""Why don't you use your head? Besides, I'm your 'master'."

While Oren was left speechless, Vita finished soaking in the spring, running her fingers through her hair until most of the tangles were gone. When she got out of the refreshing liquid and stepped upon the auburn rocks, Vita immediately threw her arms around her chest. The bateau neckline of her white dress had become too loose. Acting quickly, Vita removed a rather long, silverish purple ribbon around her waste and created two holes in front of and behind the dress, each hole on each side of her neck. Once the ribbon was carefully inserted, she tied the remains of the ribbon behind her, where it dangled underneath her waist length hair. Even though one section of her dress was repaired, there were tears throughout her dress and large rips at the bottom of it, which at first had concealed her bare feet from view. Her routine of avoiding the main road was about to be interrupted.

"...Very well, Oren. We shall...take the main road, but only because I cannot rely on a fragile ribbon to keep my dress secure.""Haha, admit it. You're fond of that ribbon. Elven wear has magical attributes, even your cheap dress. It must have a fire attribute, since water loosens it, so it would have adjusted itself as it absorbed sunlight.""Are you not satisfied yet?""Nope. You've had that ribbon since I met you.""Isn't that the answer? When I first woke, this ribbon was in my hands. It's as mysterious as myself, so I keep it close. That is all."

With that, Oren simply shrugged and started to flutter down a dirt path, only stopping to make sure Vita was following. Neither of them knew what they would encounter by taking a new direction into Nayru, but it would allow them to see a another side to the forest of Auburn. For Oren, it envoked adventure, but for Vita, danger rang in her mind. Despite their conflicting thoughts, neither of them dared to stop.

Hey, a newcomer!

Hey, I was wondering if I could join your RP. I skimmed through the first part of part of the post and found it really well made. So I am going to model my information like one of the ones already done.

Full Name: Corgath (Core-gath)
(meaning The one who Creeps in basic elven)
Age: Body is 40 years old, but was reanimated by a Dark Elven Necromancer 2 years before now, kept in captivity.
Gender: Male
Race: Moon Elf

Appearence: He looks like a regular male Moon Elf. But he is dirty, thin, moderately muscular, and have eyes that look like they are cutting into your soul. His teeth are in moderate shape, but over all he looks quiet handsome other than his crazy hair. He has dark hair, and pale skin.

Element: Earth

Weapons: Corgath usually wields anything large and sharp. Preferebly an Axe.

Halo of Antics - Peace, Serenity, and power.

Magic Arts - (hobby, playing games, having absolute power.

History - Corgath was a type of farmer. He farmed at least 10 different fruits, but his goal was to own a type of farming group. And he wanted to be president of it, over all he also liked hunting in the woods. But in the middle of his carrier, his house burned down. He found no way to make money except through hunting. He hunted for three months until he was hunting a herd when he was shot 6 times in the back with arrows. He never found out his attacker, and next thing he knew he was in the lair of a Dark Elf. It seemed like he used some sorcery on him and renanimated him. Corgath had amazing strength and hearing, but parts of his body were rotting. After a few months of healing, Corgath was as good as new, but the Dark Elf wanted Corgath to serve him. The Dark Elf didnt know Corgath's strength and was killed on the spot. Corgath then escaped. To be continued...

Three exp^^

The sun shone down upon the citizens of Monark as they moved among the stone paved streets each one with their own purpose for their travel. The mass of people travelling were such that one might very well imagine that all the worlds pent up desires and actions were to be represented by them. A priestess trying to convert the beastmen to the elfs religion, a painter going to buy the paint needed to finish a drawing which would be truly able to be called a masterpiece and give him a place in history. An armed elf might very well be on his way to hunt the tainted, or perhaps on his way to exact revenge and become tainted himself.

Each and every person moved according to their desires that would eventually lead them to their separate paths, hundreds of path ways all leading to different crossroads.

But no matter whatever these paths would take them upon a sun filled meadow or a dark abyss is of little concern. Each individual will take care of their path and theirs only and anyone’s road which might have been overgrown is for that person himself to weed out.

If we now separate all those different threads, yes imagine the streets as a box filled with threads of different texture and colors, while knowing exactly which one you want you begin to separate each and every one. You dismiss the red thread without any hesitation, rip up the black thread and throw it over your shoulder without a second glance. The green you look over a second before putting it away and the next one, a light blue thread you gently pick up and stare at for several minutes with even more care and attention than the world’s most famous expert of gems would take to stare at the purest most beautiful diamond.

Now gently sigh and put it away, it’s near identical to the one we're searching for but it’s not the one. Now the next you put up is a gentle grey mixed with the hint of blue in it. A satisfied grin widens on your face as gently pull it, completely oblivious to the hundred if not thousands of threads being left there and try to follow this one to where the end of it is. Carefully unraveling any other thread that might be in the way so as if not to uproot the origin the one you found. Now after carefully have been doing this you reach the end of it. And there you have found the person which it belongs to whose story we will follow.

This person despite being covered by a simple worn brown robe walked with the confidence and dignity of one wearing a robe embroidered with the most fantastic colors and embroidery upon it with the tiniest gemstones possible outlining each and every design.
Nothing could be seen beneath it, only revealing the white skinned arms up to the wrists as the hands also were covered with a pair of brown gloves. Nothing anyone would ever have wanted to get their hands on except one item that wasn’t concealed, the midnight black sheet hanging at his back giving the perfect contrast to the silver snakes upon it as the sun shone at them leaving them as sparkly as the stars in the night sky.

A sharp painful whistle right next to this persons head lead him to turn it slowly sideways towards the source of that piercing sound, a fairy which emitted a mild blue light.

“Do you want something Direya?” He said as he made a small unnoticeable motion with his hand.
“No I just whistle into your ear for fun…. Actually that was meant as sarcastic but its true isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately yes” Andrim sighed and before she could avoid snatched her in his hand and put her on his shoulder just as they arrived at their destination. A small but elegantly made stone house in the richer district closeby to where the council resided.

Knocking on the door he stood there waiting before a muffled “come in” escaped through it.

The inside of the building was light not only because the two windows on each side of the door let the sunlight in but as on each side of the desk there were two lanterns which shone with a yellow glow which eliminated the room and reached every corner of it, giving an comfortable and hospital atmosphere.

Or that be the case if not for the dwarf who kept reading through his file in its glow. The Dwarf were of the same stature as every other dwarf and by age his hair had already turned snow white with many wrinkles accompanying this sign of age on his forehead. Yet Andrim knew the fire in his eyes wouldn’t have dimmed one bit from last time he saw him.
Walking over to his desk Andrim politely stood there and waited for the dwarf to read through his file and deign his presence with some acknowledgement.

Finally finishing his paper he laid it down with a sigh and first now looking up to find out had come in, as if the paper was filled with such news he couldn’t even spare a single glance at the intruder until finished.
“Andrim is it? What has brought you here? From what I know you haven’t any work at present that requires you to report to me”.

“I have not. That’s the reason why we came here Pirn. I wish to return to Nayru for some time but before that I want to know if my service is required anywhere else before I go”.

"We?" he spoke sceptically, looking around as if he couldn't see the fairy.

"That means me Pirn. I hope you haven't forgotten about me" Direye spoke in the same polite way as Andrim was.

Rubbing his forehead Pirn looked slightly annoyed at the both of them “yes yes, the fairy as well. But no matter if you're two or a hundred I say the same as then. You do not need to see me every time you want to go somewhere. You’re not officially employed by us so there’s no reason why you must come and bother me every time you want to go somewhere. If you havn’t been commissioned any work from me I don’t care whether you decide to travel to the nether world itself to free Xarxes himself. Just go and I wouldn’t think anything about it”.

“Yet" Andrim began in the same polite tone of voice "even if I’m not employed I wish to serve for our peoples benefit in any way I can incase the council doesn’t have the power to take care of any problems on their own at the moment. But if there’s not anything of the sort I would visit my parents”.

At the mention of his parents Pirn seemed to soften up for a bit before returning to his same old irritable outlook, maybe it was just the play of light upon his face creating the second long illusion.

“It’s good to honor your parents. And believe it or not but we can actually do without your help, the biggest problem we got is a few tainted at most and the council does got enough people to take care of that”. Taking out another paper he scribbled furiously for a few seconds before ripping it out and handing it over to him.

"Now take this and get out. I got enough work as it is without someone thinking the council would collapse without his aid. You got leave for as long as you like if it makes you get out and leave me alone.”.

Making a short courteous bow Andrim continued “thank you. I assure I meant no insult towards the council. We be leaving then”.

Muttering something illegible Pirn left it at that and Andrim and Direya went out and closed the door behind them.

“What an sour old geezer, talk about being rude for no reason. I seriously hate having to be polite at times like that and you know it. Leave me outside next time would ya?”

Walking some further distance from the old sour geezer in question until they were safely enshrouded in the crowd in which any attempts at eavesdropping would end up in it being interrupted from somebody elses conversation. Still Andrim made his voice just a winter days breath from a whisper.

“We have been doing this for years Direya. You should have gotten used to it by now. At present I merely wish to gain everyone’s trust”.

Turning her head and spitting to the side, something the size of a raindrop that nobody would notice but the gesture was obvious.
“You mean being an completely unambitious person who merely wish to help and serve anyone of some importance as their knee dog without any thought of yourself and who sooner slit his own throat then do something to endanger anyone?”

Some silence passed between them as they kept on walking through the crowds towards the house in which they left their supplies.

“Is that what I look like in your eyes?

“Yes it is Andrim”.

Letting his lips form in a small satisfied smile as he casted a last glance over to where the elder council resided “Then we done a good job”.
Direya nodded in agreement with a cocky smile of her own plastered on her tiny face “yes we have”.

This was several weeks ago.

The traveler made his slow and weary way through the city of Nayru with its wonderful buildings and it only took a eye glance towards the tree tops to see the homes of the dark elfs to imagine what a wonderful view they must have, Nary was beautiful enough from ground level only.

Passing through the market square the degree of noise, shouts and eager dealing was deafening in contrast to the relative quiet of the forest, the relative part sitting on his shoulder casted glances here and there. Both of them thought the same thing as they saw several merchants trying to sell moon day trinkets for the upcoming night. They had made it in time.

Finally reaching their destination they stopped before a stone cast house which unlike the rest of the buildings were not decorated by any wood or stone but by beautiful metallic ornaments which if there were any thief’s with a handy pick would certainly not have lasted another night.

Clutching his hand Andrim knocked three times at the door and stood there waiting until it was swung open without warning. The elf having opened it was in his middle age but with as muscular a body as anyone could ever have wished for regardless of age. The hair being an odd mixture of black and brown which rest on the top of his head as it was cut so short that it didn’t even reach his ears. His hands were rough from being calloused and burnt at places from years of practice in employing his profession.

They both looked each other in the eyes, grey against green which almost seemed to flare up with the very flames he took advantage of in his trade as he watched Andrim. They stood there for what felt like several minutes until the older elf spoke. “Welcome home son”.
“Good to see you father”.

3 EXP gathered. - - - l l Exotic Beginnings... l l - - -

We test, we form, we fear, we tilt
We strive, we fall, we want, we kill
And we hail, and we doubt
And with all wasted
We heal.

- - - - - - -

~Open your eyes...

~...Lun

He breathed heavily.

In his hand, beaming, glittering he held the blade. It was light, so very light, despite the blood clinging to it.

- - - - - - -

The battle had lasted long.

He had lost count of how many he had slain. Those with and without hearts. They had caused so much suffering to his heart, making way for scorching anger, blazing pain and smouldering hate. There was no room for innocence...not in this tale.

He had not been able to protect his friends.

The blade had been light, light as it hurtled down on his enemies.
Through his enemies.
Cutting new paths into ravaging madness...

He had wanted to see them suffer.

...passion turning into rage...

He had wanted them to die.

...ringing with the sound of fatality as his adversaries, those who still could, screamed in fear...

One by one he had wanted them to pay for what they had done.

...echoing through his being and vibrating to the very tips of his weapon, a mere extension of revenge on them.

Every body still left. Destroyed.
Every heart still unscathed. Vanished. Completely.
Every hope within his soul. Extinguished. Forever...

Only emptiness remained.

And the Colosseum that stood before him.

- - - - - - -

He merited the name of “Lun” no longer.

And over his dirty and bloody stained face a single tear made its way to fall on a devastated ground.

- - - - - - -

thud!

Thud!!

THUD!!

“Falteer. Get ye arse up and moving! There’s a nightkin problem in the pantry.”

“Lord Falteer, it is about time you do rise, it is...I believe....” Arwen thumbed around in her bag which held an assortment of survival gear which, from time to time, proved very, very useful.
“Quarter past one in the afternoon...” Alas there was still no reply from the dark elf who would not reply to his slaver, or, more importantly his fairy guide.

A lock clicked open which belonged to a door on the far opposite side of the room, and then stepped in Falteer's slave driver. “Do not make me repeat myself champion!” he grunted. A groan came from the ever weary Falteer as he winked open his EYES to stare at the blank cauldron wall in front of him. Prising himself from his sleep Falteer got up off of the piles of hay which made his makeshift bed. “I'm sorry, I must have been having a lucid dream...” Falteer failed to imitate a heart-warming smile as he held his wrists out in front of him.

The slave driver uneasily cleared his throat.“I can't do much with my hands and feet bound now can I?” Falteer half smiled.

The slave driver took three confident strides inside the cell and unlocked the braces that bound restricted Falteer from moving. “Now...” Falteer began. “A nightkin problem I believe you said? Did they escape from the animal cells?.” The slaver looked Falteer up and down before replying. “Yes, you are pretty quick for a dark elf aren't you?.” Falteer smiled once again. “You will need your weapons won't you? Here's your itinerary for the day...You don't have to much to do today apart from a few chores and a Colosseum battle...You will be paired up with your familiar for it seeing as you are against four other foes...”

“My familiar has a name. It is Jovan.” The name rolled off of Falteer's tongue and burned into the air leaving a cold chill. “Yes...Jovan...” the slaver winced. “You know I respect you Falteer, I have a lot of money riding on you today, so make sure you put on a good show, if you lose...you will not be able to afford the little luxuries you have at the moment!” the guard turned his back on Falteer and exited the cell. “This way” he said looking back.

“Lord Falteer, lemme see the itinerary for today!” Arwen the fairy quickly scanned over the text that the piece of worn paper contained. “Looks good! After you take care of the nightkin its straight to the Colosseum battle, so you will have to go to the animal cells to get Jovan!”.

Arwen paused to breathe as she read over the rest of the text. “Then...You have to run a few errands for your master in the market...they will probably re-shackle you once you go outside...”

Falteer sighed. “I haven't seen the outside in a while, it would be great to be able to see the city outside of these claustrophobic walls.” Falteer left the room and followed quickly after the slave driver who seemed to be talking to him not realising he was not actually there. “Here we are!..” he said. “Get your belongings from the proprietor and hurry up! Those nasty little devils can cause a hell of a ruckus, and the chefs are refusing to cook because of the minor infestation.”

Falteer opened the door to the armoury and walked over to the proprietor. The room was laden wall to wall with suits of armour and weapon racks. The centre of the room however was very spacious, enough room to fit a few elephants. The only thing of notice in the centre of the room was the antique rug that looked like it was hiding something. Falteer always wanted to test his theory and move the rug...but, alas, that would be a bad idea.

On the opposite corner of the room was a cage where all the gladiators personal equipment was stored. It contained all the belongings which they had on them before they entered the Colosseum, and that meant that through those cold wrought bars of iron, somewhere Falteer's most treasured item lay.

“Falteer! What can I do for you today?! I've put two silver rupees on your name! That was a years salary! You're going to make me a rich man today...” the proprietor smiled cheekily. “Don't worry Balen” Falteer returned the smile. “You will be able to leave this place after today a very wealthy man. Jovan has never let me down once before, and I doubt she will do today either.”

“My weapons and armour please.” Falteer pointed to his belongings that were perched on their own personal rack. The proprietor now known as Balen nodded and went to gather his belongings which contained his bow, his sword and his flexible leather armour.

Five minutes had passed by the time Falteer was fully equipped with his armour and weapons. He didn't want to spare any minute longer so he quickly made a dash for the pantry. “I'll catch you later Balen!” Falteer waved him off.

A few moments later and a dozen corridors past, Falteer finally made it to the pantry where the supposed nightkin threat was being staged. “Watch yourself now Arwen, you know not to glare into their eyes or they will temporarily paralyse you!”.

“I don't get it Falteer...You said that the nightkin threat was rather small...but...they are one of the most hellish kind of beasts I've ever seen you take on in the Colosseum!” Arwen shuddered at the sheer thought of them. “Don't worry Arwen, you know me! I'm going to put these beasts down.”

Falteer opened the door to the pantry to see four of the beats rummaging through the sacks of wheat which were stacked on top of each other on the other side of the room. Nightkin. They stood on all fours like a dog, but had the appearance that belonged to a reptiles, followed by fangs, claws and fins that lined their back. Their most threatening trait however were their eyes. Red hellish eyes that could look into ones soul and know their deepest darkest secrets.

Falteer swiftly took out his bow and nailed a few well placed arrows on one of the beasts neck, instantly dropping it. “One down, three to go!”. This soon caught the attention of the other nightkin who grimaced their fangs to Falteer and immediately went for the kill. Falteer dodged the first swarm of strikes and sheathed his bow quickly. He then took out Aegis, his sword and began to fend off their blows.

Falteer quickly saw the chance to take down another nightkin and did so with one hack of his sword. He then quickly shifted his feet and turned behind him to see another one of the beasts ready to pounce on him. Falteer quickly threw his sword at the beast, sawing the poor hound in half right through the centre. One left. He thought to himself. The dark elf looked around but there was no sign of the other creature. He quickly went to pick up his sword but alas there it was.

“Falteer! Behind you!” Arwen hollared.

With not much time Falteer rolled towards his blade and turned around to see the already airborne beast coming straight for him. “Amnaste...” Falteer muttered. He then plunged the sword straight through the beasts mouth, impaling it on impact.

“Looks like we're having nightkin for dinner” Falteer smiled at the breathless fairy.

“Don't scare me like that...EVER...again!” Arwen shouted as she kicked Falteer square in the cheek.

“Hey! That....tickled” he chuckled to himself. “That's the first time I've seen you show real emotion in a long time Falteer...” Arwen pointed out.

Falteer then returned to his expressionless mood once more.
“Jovan.”

- - - - - -

The magnificent Colosseum in all its splendour awaited Falteer on the other side of the gate that stood before him. He could already hear the crowds amassing to see his already predetermined victory against the four foes that have been pit against him. He wondered what they were going to be this time. The regular four bandits that needed punishing for the less than popular deeds? Or was it going to be a little more exotic this time, cannibal beastkin perhaps...Falteer dazed out of his daydream and awaited his announcement that would always put the crowd on their feet once they heard who would be doing the punishing today.

The gate that prevented Falteer from entering the arena began to open. He looked down beside him to see Jovan waiting with him. “That's a good girl...” he said as he petted her to which she responded to with a husky purr. A Xeloain. The most loyal and largest tamed pet in all of Amn that any home owner would love to own. A cross between a dragon and a panther. Black scales and fur protruding the entire animals body followed with a tail that was about half a length of her entire body. Small wings tucked underneath the exotic creatures belly which also served as armour as well as a method of transport. The animal possessed an elongated face which was inherited from the dragon, with sharp teeth bearing from the animals mouth. A noble creature. Not the most prettiest, but not the most unfriendliest creature either.

The gate had finally been drawn open and Falteer slowly stepped into the arena to be welcomed with a humongous uproar from the crowd. “Ladies and Gentleman! Allow me to present to you... The champion of Kirkwall!! Falteer Kuriki!!!”
“Kirkwall.” Falteer chuckled. “Now there's a story I haven't relived in a long time...”

Standing in the centre of the arena Falteer, followed by his familiar Jovan and his fairy Arwen, they awaited the arrival of the opposing foes they would be fighting for today.

The gates to the opposite side of the arena began to slowly open. Falteer squinted his eyes as he looked over yonder. Four large inhuman figures stomped into the arena.

“No...” Falteer exclaimed.

Arwen winced. “C-Can it be?!”

“It appears so Arwen...Draken.”
"...Now THESE...are the most hellish creatures I've seen you fight in the Colosseum with!"

"This is no time to joke Arwen..."

Four humanoid dragons stood before Falteer. Tainted Draken. Once noble and exotic beasts which thrived on the edges of Qualus approximately 100 years ago before being drove to near extinction by loss of female companions within the race. Draken however, do not possess the knowledge to speak or possess logical thought, they survive on instinct. It had been rumoured that the Draken were becoming tainted by the Abyss...but to actually see one was a bewildering sight.

Not sparing another moments loss Falteer quickly grabbed his sword and unsheathed it from his buckle.

He then dashed towards them to begin the battle which would be remembered for years to come...

Falteer could already sense his presence.

Balthazar's.

They have met numerous times before but haven't ever actually come under direct contact with eachother. They both just know one thing about eachother. They are both Nilak's Apprentices.

Balthazar had better had hold onto his seat, because Falteer was going to give him something to finally open his mouth and yak about.

Falteer quickly dashed towards the Draken ahead of him. One of them dashed towards him as well, this would set the pace for the battle. Falteer waved his blade above his head and brought it back down in a swift diagonal motion to slice it through the creatures centre mass.

Too slow. The Draken beat its wings, quickly side stepping and dodging Falteer's first attack. It would seem the Draken would connect the first blow.

CRRUnnChhh!!!

Falteer heaved as the Draken punched him swiftly in the ribs, knocking whatever air he had in his lungs straight out of him. He stumbled on his loose feet, just managing to stand up. It was Jovan's turn. Jovan saw her chance to strike on the creature's neck, ripping at its throat. Blood trickled from it as it fell to a bloody pulp on the floor.

“Not...the best start!” Falteer grumbled as he regained his balance. “Okay. No more cheap shots!”

Falteer threw his sword to the ground and joined his two thumbs and index fingers together to give flame to his magic art. Thunder's Wake.

Falteer muttered a few chants underneath his breath and brought his hands down by his side. He looked at two of the Drakens ahead of him and quickly brought his hands back up. A massive jolt of electricity left his hands and travelled across the Colosseum, finally meeting with two of the Drakens at the far end. They were instantly fried to a crisp before they could even know what had hit them.

“One more...” he said. He was already exhausted from the use of the magic art, but that first strike took its toll on him. Falteer picked up his sword and charged towards the last Draken, screaming at the top of his lungs.

They both connected with their swords, deflecting each others attempts to kill each other. Sparks flew off of their blades. They were colliding too fast for the audience to even know what was going on. Falteer quickly swept his feet along the ground, kicking up a nearby pebble and catching it in his hand. His quickly paced back and chucked it square between the Draken's eyes. It stumbled, leaving Falteer the perfect opportunity to strike.

He dashed towards his foe, hitting the tainted creature square in the stomach with the handle of his blade. He then proceeded to chop off both arms of the enemy and brought his sword to the now kneeling creature's head.

It was now for the audience to decide this creature's fate...
“LET IT DIE!”

“LET IT DIE!”

“LET IT DIE!”

The audience chanted. “So be it...” Falteer muttered. He slit the Draken's throat, and lay it down on the floor. “Esta e' seere” he said before closing the poor souls eyes.

The day has started, it has already went past noon and it is slowly itching itself towards the Eve of Moon Day. Eight characters in total have jumped right into the vortex of Amn, each of them doing whatever they can in order to advance in their lives. Some do small tasks for others in order to gain wealth while others fight for their lives in order to survive. Some heroically stand up to defend others while some only linger in the shadows as if they didn't even exist. Lastly there are those who do their job like a professional, and those who just want to spend time with their friends and family. There isn't a single side to all of these characters who have arrived here, each of them bear burdens of their own pasts and each of them strive to become something better than what they are now.

The cogs have started functioning, slowly all these characters are being pulled towards their ultimate destination. Slowly, three figures are making their move with a hero leading them. The next question is.. what does it mean? What is going to happen that will destroy the serenity of everyones' lives? What will Amn's future look like.. ?

Kinrai looked at his mother with firm eyes. He had waited to ask a single question from her, finally she had calmed down a bit. Issat was floating right above Kinrai's left shoulder with a slight frown on her face, the green glow from her was slightly turning into light blue. Liana looked at Kinrai with a slightly confused face, last time Kinrai had looked so serious was when his father had abandoned him.
It was years ago but still Liana could remember it like it was yesterday. The crushed look on Kinrai's face when she told him that his father had left and would not return anytime soon, if ever, left an everlasting impression on Liana. Somehow, right now Kinrai resembled his father for the first time.

Kinrai: ”Mother.. I must ask you something. It's about father”Liana: ”Why.. ? I thought you had let go of it already”Kinrai: ”On the contrary, the fire burns brighter than ever before inside me mother”Liana: ”I-I see..”Issat: ”Please master, must you bring him up? Hasn't he caus-”Kinrai: ”Silence Issat!”Liana: ”Kinrai! Don't shout at her like that!”Kinrai: ”Where is he? Where is father? I must know mother!! You never told me, he never told me.. no one ever told me!”Liana: ”W-well he is a member of the Elder Council so most likely he's in Monark”Kinrai: ”Monark.. I must go there mother. I must see father.. an-”Liana: ”And what Kinrai? What will you accomplish from going there?! There is no point lingering in the past!! Forget about Kinos, he is not your father anymore!”Kinrai: ”You won't change my mind mother. I will leave as soon as I can. I have to know the truth”Liana: ”The truth.. ?! The truth will only bring more pain to you!”Kinrai: ”I don't care, I just want the truth”Liana: ”K-Kinrai..”

Kinrai soon left with Issat silently following behind him. He went outside of the palace and descended the stairs to the city level. Instead of walking through the market area again, he chose to circle around the colosseum. The colosseum split the center of the city. The western side had the market area and most of the high elf homes while the eastern side was a tad less luxurious.

The eastern side wasn't a slum area at all, it just wasn't quite as brilliant as the west side. The east side had a few shops here and there but the reason why people came to the east side was not the shops, it was the schools and different activities. The east side had much more space than the west side much because the market stands had a bad habit of taking a huge space. There were two schools in Nayru, both which were located in the east side.

The first school was the school of Magic Arts. There everyone could learn the basics of creating a Magic Art for themselves. The school had one distinctive thing on it which separated it from the other similar looking white and round houses: A bowl with an eternal flame on it.
The fire was never put out, and in fact it was actually hard to put out since it wasn't regular fire. The fire was sustained with magic and the source of it was a certain sphere located in a half-moon shaped storage made of glass under the city of Nayru.
There were many spheres inside this storage, all of which sustained different parts of ”life” in Nayru, for example the fireflies in the streetlanterns.

Kinrai himself went to this school on his early years but never really got the hang of it. The way they taught the Arts was very theoretical which in terms wasn't something Kinrai was best at. There was only little of practical study because of the hazards the Arts can cause, and also because everyone were so inexperienced. It was understandable of course since if someone invented an especially devastating Magic Art and couldn't control it, it would spell disaster to the city of Nayru.

The second school was for the hunters who brought in most of the food. The school was located right beside the school of Magic Arts, and it also had a single distinguishing element in it which separated it from others. The school had three hovering blue crystals above it which all had a sort of hourglass inside them.

From what Kinrai had gathered, the hourglasses represented the apperance of the moons. There was one hourglass for each moon, and whenever one rotated around it meant that one of the moons was up. Apparently the moons were important for hunters due to their influence on the wild animals in the forest of Auburn. Kinrai didn't know much more about it but he could of course ask if he felt like it someday.

Kinrai walked past the two schools and was on his way back home when he saw someone familiar standing near the entrance of the colosseum..

In the Past

Nilak: ”Have you ever been to the colosseum Kinrai?”Kinrai: ”No, I haven't. I don't like bloodshed really”Nilak: ”Hmm.. ? Interesting. So you belong to one of those who dislike fighting? But why did you want to become my app-”Kinrai: ”Stop right there Nilak. I said I don't like bloodshed, not fighting. Besides I want to learn to defend myself, not how to kill things”Nilak: ”Kinrai!”
He pound Kinrai's head rather hard.Nilak: ”Never interrupt your master! It is one of the basic rules of-”Kinrai: ”Yeah, yeah I kno-”
Nilak pound Kinrai's head again.Nilak: ”There you go again. What will I ever do with you?”Kinrai: ”Well first off stop hitting me, then you could finally show the colosseum for me”Nilak: ”You remind me of myself when I was young Kinrai.. completely irrational at times and a real loghead to be blunt”Kinrai: ”A loghead?! Come on! Don't I have any respect around here?”Nilak: ”Haha! Come on, you might even meet Balthazar and Falteer”Kinrai: ”Wow.. really? Now I'm really excited! Let's go already!”
The past fades back into memories yet again..

The figure standing near the colosseum was Balthazar. That huge stature and coal black hair were always an easy giveaway of him. Also the two katanas and multitude of tattoos were something to easy recognize him from. It looked like he was going to the colosseum, but he wasn't going to fight, he was going to watch.
At least that's what Kinrai figured from the way Balthazar paid in order to get inside. Kinrai hadn't even once seen Balthazar fight in the colosseum, it was probably since Kinrai was still a mere child when Balthazar was fighting there. Not once had Kinrai talked to Balthazar but he sure knew who he was.

Soon after Balthazar's entry to the colosseum, a huge roaring started echoing from inside. Kinrai could only guess who it was this time. Instead of looking into it further, Kinrai started heading towards his home. On the way he however realized that he would need something if he wanted to cross through the forest of Auburn and lava pits of Onomu.

A map of Amn, that's what he needed. Of course a simple way would've been just to buy it from the local merchants in the market area but you could never be 100% sure if the map was genuine or not. Thus, Kinrai decided to head into the Elven Library for it had the largest collection of maps one could possibly imagine.

Kinrai looked up into the sky and noticed how the sun had reached it's peak already. From here on it would start descending and eventually be swallowed by the horizon in order to make way for the three moons: Satir, Ura and Pent. Kinrai figured he might not be able to leave today yet because searching for the best map from library would take it's time.

He had around 200 Rupees to spare for the map, hopefully it would be enough. Once he reached the gate which lead into the Elven Library, Kinrai stopped for a second and turned to face the city again. Issat landed on Kinrai's left shoulder and sat there silently. She hadn't said a word the whole time. Kinrai was just silently watching the city, as if waiting for something.

Kinrai: ”Soon I'll leave this place..”Issat: ”...”Kinrai: ”Issat? What's wrong?”Issat: ”I.. apologize for my terrible behaviour earlier master. Please forgive me”Kinrai: ”..!! No, no! The fault was mine. I got carried away too much.. it's just that whenever I even think of father, this overwhelming feeling of anger takes over me”Issat: ”If you hate him so much, why do you want to meet him then.. ?”Kinrai: ”You wouldn't understand Issat, you've never had a father who abandoned you for no reason”Issat: ”I know I couldn't possibly imagine what it's like but at least let me try master!”Kinrai: ”Don't trouble yourself so much over me”Issat: ”But that is my duty as your fairy!”Kinrai: ”.. Let's just go look for that map”

Kinrai walked inside the Elven Library, went past the kind looking receptionist with glasses and flowing brown hair, and started browsing through the categories from the shelves.

Transition to Nilak

Nilak stood up from the pedestal in front of the statue of Valham. He looked at the statue silently for a while before leaving some kind of memento on it. The memento was a golden bracelet with intricate carvings in it, most of them which resembled dragons. It most likely had belonged to Valham at some given point and he had given it to Nilak for an unknown reason.

Nilak glanced at the forest surrounding the statue.. it was peaceful. It was one of those places where you could feel at ease, where you could just stand still and listen to the soothing sounds of nature. The most noise was caused by the nearby hot spring, from the spot where the water flowed into the spring. The water was already hot as it flowed down, it was coming from as far away as the Nihil Mountains. It was odd since you wouldn't expect a cold place like that have hot water flowing freely.

Nilak turned around and head back in to the city of Nayru. It seemed his mind was boggled with something terrible, for he looked like he was suffering from making a single step. When he reached Nayru, a crowd of people instantly gathered around him. Nilak quickly hid his anguish as the people got closer.
They wanted to hear Nilak's amazing stories however this time Nilak could only offer a warm smile for them, nothing else. He walked further into the city and arrived to Kinrai's home. He looked inside the window and saw Kinrai wasn't home right now. The roaring from the colosseum made Nilak turn around and look at the colosseum. Perhaps Kinrai had finally gone himself there? He knew both his older apprentices were in the colosseum, there was no real way to prove but he just knew it.

Soon he jumped and flew into one of the homes located in the trees. Nilak's home tree was the one most close to the colosseum. He could observe the colosseum from there just as well as anyone observed it from the crowd seats inside the colosseum. His home was a simple one, it was a tad bigger than your average tree home however. There were two actual rooms in it: the bedroom and the kitchen. There was also the balcony where he observed the colosseum from.
As soon as he turned his sights to the colosseum, he saw Falteer and Balthazar. Falteer was fighting a couple of Drakens, one of the most deadliest of species in Amn, however Nilak wasn't able to make out whether they were grown-ups or still on their early stages. Balthazar on the other hand was only observing from the crowd.

Falteer's black cape and silver hair fluttered in the wind as he fought against the Drakens. He also had his familiar with him, Jovan, the deadly lizard-like creature which could rip someone's arm off with a single bite. Nilak always complimented Falteer on how well he worked together with his familiar, they fought in sync very well most of the time. It wasn't easy to raise a familiar as deadly as Jovan to be your loyal companion in battle. Falteer had taken one or two hits from the Drakens from the looks of it, somehow his movement slowed down at some point. Nilak hadn't seen it but he was quite sure of it.

Witnessing Falteer's Magic Art was always a sight to behold, it instantly turned the strongest of things into ash. However using it while there still were more than one enemy might've been a tad careless. In the end Falteer remained triumphant and the crowd demanded the defenseless beast to be slain rather than letting it go.
Drakens had one deadly trait about them which made them that much harder to kill. They could grow their arms and legs back if they were cut off, just like lizards can grow their tail back. Falteer chose to slay the beast, in which Nilak only watched.

Nilak: ”Anything to please the crowd, right Falteer? It's the only way for a gladiator, or rather a prisoner”

Nilak said this to himself really since there was really no way for anyone to hear it. Naturally this beast's life would've been ended whether or not Falteer had slain it or not. The Draken were considered Tainted, thus they were killed on sight. Some of the lucky ones could get into the colosseum, just to be butchered by the gladiators. The colosseum was turning more violent, however thankfully the most violent of battles were held at night. Nilak knew it, for he attended them most of the time.

1 EXP - Beneficial Water

Ducking under thick branches and trudging through the foaming growth within the forest of Auburn, Vita and Oren finally reached the main road. Behind them were many paths that connected villages and cities to it. Thus, it was no surprise to discover a swarm of all kinds of people, from haggard elders to curious youngsters, wealthy aristocrates seeking wealth, and even paupers hoping to accomplish a long forgotten dream. Children raced each other, creating obstacles from merchants hauling their bountiful goods. It was organized chaos, no order despite everyone and everything heading towards Nayru. Even so, a soaked moon elf and a distinct fairy could easily blend into the wide range of elves, dwarfs, and other races heading up the white spiral of stairs to Nayru. Oren wasted no time taking advantage of the situation, calling for Vita to follow him and struggling to get her to move.

"Come on, Vita! Those steps have a magical attribute to them as well. It cuts the journey from the forest of Auburn to Nayru, which saves a lot more time than, say, climbing--"

"I already gave you the satisfaction of winning our dispute, so please...hush!" Vita motioned her finger towards Oren, lightly pressing the tip of her finger to his lips while making sure she didn't harm him in the process. Then she sighed, replying, "you were right. Because of you, we can arrive at the library before nightfall. Thank you, Oren."

"Heh, it's my duty to direct my master upon the right path. As long as you listen to me, there's no need to thank me. Now, ownward--"

"Oh my!" Oren backed into a petite, aged elf with eyes of golden sunshine filled with concern and surprise. She was quite humble, catching Oren in her wrinkly, large hands as he started to falter in mid-air. A smile as warm as her kindred eyes was proof enough of her pure soul. She waited patiently for Oren to adjust himself and flutter to Vita's side before shuffling away from the two.

"Th-thank you very much, u-um..." Vita managed to regain the elder's attention, her fumbling for words delighting the woman.

"Amelia. I don't mind being addressed by my first name. May I ask who the two of you are?""Nice to meet you, Amelia. My name is Vita Vero, and my companion is--""Hi, I'm Oren. It seems we all are headed to Nayru. Why are you going there, Amelia?"

"Oren!" Vita scowled at Oren's lack of maturity, regretting his manner of talking without thinking. "Amelia's reason for heading to Nayru is personal. We shouldn't question her too much."

"Your so unfun! You don't mind, right, Amelia?"

"Heh-heh. No, I don't mind at all." Amelia nodded her head, reminiscing about the events that occured before she set out for Nayru. "I hope to meet my darling granddaughter." The jubilance in her voice became a sorrowful note. Regret? It was hard to tell, for after a few seconds, her eyes twinkled with joy yet again. "Seven years have passed since I last saw my son. He was such an adventurous lad, running to and fro. A letter from him arrived two days ago." As Amelia spoke, a piece of crumbled paper was removed from her coat pocket. It was evident that she had read it many times. "What better way to reunite with your family than to celebrate the day a precious child was born, especially when that day happens to fall on Moon Day? Why, I am practically bursting with excitement!"

Some time had passed during the lengthy story Amelia told to Vita and Oren, who both remained quiet throughout it. When she finally finished, they all made it safely into Nayru. It didn't take them long to realize they would split ways. Amelia's family resided in the western half, which was in the opposite direction of the Elven Library. Vita couldn't afford delaying another second away, so she promised (after much persuasion) that once she found what she was looking for, she would spend the peak of Moon Day with Amelia and her family. As they bid each other adieu, Amelia handed Vita a finely knitted shawl, with patterns of Satir, Ura, and Pent lined together on a black background. Apparently, it was a duplicate, for its twin stuck out of the sack of treasures on Amelia's back, its only difference being a mystical, midnight blue background.

"Even though your dress must have dried a tad, I couldn't very well let you walk around once the chill of night passes over Nayru.""You are very kind, but I couldn't accept such a gift."

"Nonsense! Besides, it would be dreadful if you didn't keep your promise. By offering you this wonderful shawl, you'll have no choice but to visit me and my family. Now, you could decline this exchange, but then my woeful heart will be crushed."

"Vita, you wouldn't take away Amelia's happiness before she reunites with her granddaughter, would you?" Oren hovered over Amelia's shoulder and together they flashed puppy dog eyes at Vita. "Her heart would be so swollen with regret that she wouldn't have the will to move!"

"That's right. I'll warm your body with this shawl, and you'll warm my soul by coming with me to celebrate my granddaughter's birthday.""Don't you realize how similar you two are, Vita? Amelia must be so nervous! Her son is much older, and she hasn't even met her granddaughter!""Oren is absolutely right! Why, it is like meeting strangers who you are suppose to know.""Yeah, and you'll finally know what a family--"

"I understand!" Biting her lip at the loudness of her voice, Vita forced a smile, taking the shawl gratefully. "I will use this shawl as my side of our oath. We shall meet again just before nightfall."

Keeping her head lowered, Vita hurried passed the many stalls, beckoning for Oren to follow. Some words came from Amelia, but they were mere sounds in Vita's ears. Not another word was spoken, and Oren could only assume the tension trailing all the way to the entrance of the Elven Library was his fault. Gasping at the force applied to the door and the strained smile at the unfortunate receptionist, Oren apologized several times for the commotion before returning to Vita's side as swiftly as possible.

"Why are you so mad?""I'm not--...I'm not mad. I just...my heart feels...strange."

Averting her eyes, Vita traced the interior of the Elven Library. The entrance was shaped like that of an oval, which lead into the larger, round space beyound the reception desk, which divided the two shapes from each other. High above her head was a spiral of smooth, auburn wood forming an outline of a tornado. In between the gaps was a crystalline substance that allowed sunlight to bounce upon the shelves and tidy floorboards like glitter. In the center was a flight of stairs that branched out to the left in several directions, leading to the rows of books stacked high upon the walls of the library. To the right were columns of books which lead into shelves of books jetting out of it and smashing into the wall, where even more books spilled from the collision before repeating the process. All in all, the process resembled a bunch of u-shapes linking all the way the wall at the end, which created the inverse corners on each side of the entrance. There were signs which specified which books could be found in which section bobbing in the air. Those signs were shaped in spheres, reflecting the information engraved within it on all sides.

Beneath one of these signs was a particular elf who had an air about him much different from all the studious individuals around him. His hair could rival the length of Vita's hair, save that her curls were replaced with spikes even more numerous than Oren's locks. Blonde hair sprouted from his scalp, seemingly lighten the further it got from his head, with his bangs colored in reverse order. Although they never made direct eye contact, Vita got the impression of crisp leaves as the hue of his irises. Blinking away her distractions, Vita took one final glimpse at the determined elf before settling her eyes upon a pair of double doors. In front of those elaborant doors, decked with the effort of a master artist that hinted to the riches beyond them, were two stern-looking guards. It was hard to distinguish them from each other, from all the armor they wore to the lances gripped firmly in their hands. Those lances blocked the knowledge that Vita seeked, threatening to banish her if she made one false step.

"State your name and business." They both spoke in unison, as if they shared thoughts between each other.

"I am Vita Vero, an active member of the ELA and a respectable moon elf. I have arranged for access into the restricted section. Please step aside.""Where is your proof?""Whad'ya mean proof?!"

"Oren!" Vita lowered her voice, purposedly whispering clearly enough for the guards to hear her. "Know when to hold your tongue, even if you speak the truth."

"Hmf. If the guards weren't constantly circulated, they would know who we are.""Silence, you impudent--""Impudent? Is this how all the guest are treated?!""I understand. Once the sun descends from the sky, so does the hospitality. These guards are merely being cautious, but being overly cautious attracts the greedy and the deceitful. Come, Oren. We shall return when we can be rightfully respected."

"You dare insult us and leave cursed words lingering upon your departure?!""Curse? We aren't Tainted--""You are welcome to check out any of the general books. However, the restricted area is off limits. If you have no other business, we kindly ask you to leave.""We will most certainly not leave, unless either of you know of where I may find 'Voco e Vorago'.""V-Voco e Vorago? Ha! That is a book of legends.""Nevertheless, it is one legend I hope to uncover. Please step aside.""...No. None shall pass, as customary on Moon Day."

6 exp

The crowd was getting pretty excited over the next match. One young dark elf, not a kid of course, was jumping all over the place because of the excitement. Next to the dark elf was a high elf who looked like he could die from boredom. He must've been annoyed out of his wits by the dark elf next to him. Balthazar still wasn't sure who the next contestant was but he had a strong hunch on who it could be.

Just as the crowd literally exploded in cheers, the next contestant was announced. Balthazar was still sitting while some had rose up from their seats in order to cheer. The next contestant was Falteer Kuriki, a dark elf Balthazar knew because of a single thread between the two: Nilak.

Not once had the two spoken directly to each other, but both of them knew each other well. After all it was hard not to know the other when you were being trained by the same master. Both, Balthazar and Falteer seemed to sense each other.
It was that odd feeling just before the name was announced which kept lingering in Balthazar's mind. Falteer was going to battle with his little pet: Jovan. Jovan was a Xeloain, a mix of a panther and a dragon. The two had known each other for a long time, Balthazar could only guess how long.

Falteer was set against four Draken, a vicious Tainted dragon-like creature. They were exactly those kinds of customers you wouldn't want to meet on a lonely night. Balthazar had never seen one in flesh since they were a rather rare sight. It was amazing how they had gotten their hands on a few of them. The necessary precautions had been taken though, it seemed the creatures were not able to fly well even though they possessed wings.

Now Balthazar felt another familiar feeling, it was as if someone was watching him. It couldn't have been Falteer, he was much too busy getting beat up by the Draken. At least from what Balthazar was able to take a glimpse at. He looked upwards and saw a figure standing on a balcony, more specifically on Nilak's balcony.
It couldn't have been anyone other than Nilak. He had arrived back into the city from wherever he had been earlier. Something about Nilak's behaviour stood off to Balthazar though, he wasn't his cheerful self. In fact, he hadn't been that in a long time now. He wouldn't say anything to Balthazar though, perhaps he had spoken to Falteer? This could finally be the time when the two could have an actual conversation.

Balthazar aimed his sight back to the fight and was just able to see Thunder's Wake, Falteer's Magic Art. He sure liked to use it, it certainly wasn't the first time. It desintegrated two of the Drakens in an instant. Only one of them was left, Thunder's Wake had taken it's toll from Falteer but he would never give up. Just like Balthazar, he would fight to the very end.

The last Draken put up a fight though, sparks seemed to fly all over the place when the two made contact. The fight was settled the moment Falteer was able to make the Draken falter. Swiftly the beast was without arms, and it's head was severed soon after by the crowd's demand.

Balthazar had seen enough killing for the day, at least he thought so. He made his way out of the colosseum and was about to head home when he remembered that he was supposed to ask about Nilak from Falteer. So instead of heading home, Balthazar turned around and walked inside the colosseum again.
He took the door which lead to the underground holding cells where all the combatants were. He knew where he was going since he had been there multiple times. There were a few guards posted in the underground area, and as soon as Balthazar entered one of the guards walked over to him.

”Are you here as a combatant again?”. The guard seemed to recognize Balthazar, he must've been there when Balthazar was still fighting as a gladiator."No, I'm here to see Falteer Kuriki""He's still in the arena but he'll be back soon"".. I'll wait then". Balthazar started leaning towards a wall and closed his eyes for the time being.

Meanwhile Inpa was doing one of his heroic deeds of getting rid of rats. He had taken the bag outside of Nayru and was near a cave of sorts. He thought this would be the perfect place to leave the rats. He opened the bag and the stench made him stagger. His eyes rolled upwards and he was about to fall before regaining his composure.

Inpa threw the bag next to the entrance of the cave, only to find out that the cave was occupied. A spine-shattering roar was heard from the depths of the cave, it was like a mix of a bears roar and a pig's squel. In any case, the roar was threatening and Inpa could feel it all the way down in his toes. A huge shadow emerged right in front of the bag, and the bag of rats was swallowed by it in an instant. Inpa was sweating bullets right this moment, the only thing going through his mind was: ”1 + 1 = 2” over and over again. He never acted rational, so what would you expect?

The beast inhabitating the cave was a Tamba, the mix of a bear and a pig. It had bears fur and head, but it's legs belonged to a pig.. although it also had a pig's head. Both heads were next to each other which made the whole beast look quite bizarre. Nevertheless the beast was the size of a grown man, so you really didn't want to mess with it. Inpa was only able to make slight ”Eep!” noises as he saw the beast in front of him. Soon the Tamba roared again, and before you knew it, was rushing at Inpa. Inpa screamed out loud and started running as fast as he could towards Nayru. In order to prevent the Tamba from catching up to him, he used alchemy to distract the beast.

By collecting whatever he could from the nature, he was able to create mimics of himself. They weren't that well made due to the rush but they did their part in distracting the Tamba. The beast rip both mimics into shreds with it's bear mouth and then resumed chasing the real one. Next up came a stone wall which the beast quite easily broke through.

That's when the Tamba leaped into the air and aimed itself right at Inpa. Inpa himself could see the shadow which seemed to swallow his own and turned around just to see a pair of sharp teeth glittering in the sunlight.

"Beneficial fire" 1exp

“So what do you want to talk about father? I prefer not to linger too long if not necessary” Andrim spoke. He and his father sat on opposite sides of an table made out of stone while sitting on elegant but worn chairs made from oak.

The room in which they resided right now, a small but comfy room with a fireplace in it to keep the future chill of winter away. The room seemed to enjoy the blending of the natural and the made. Metal and wood, dead and alive. A wooden outlined wall might suddenly change to a different colored metal and then change back with both wooden and metal out linings in them. It was an odd but strangely attractive arrangement.

“Don’t be like that son. It’s been ages since I last saw you. What can it be, ten years? And I’m sure your mother would like to see you, pity she’s out right now” he spoke in that loud cheerful voice of his which had been associated with safety during Andrims youth.
“Afraid I’m busy as usual father. You have to pass my greetings to my mother, but I do need the metal I left in your care. It should have matured by now. Is it where I left it?”

"Nothing to do about it, you got your own life to live I guess. It’s still there and I been sure to let it get its share of light” he said as he reached into his pocket, unfastened a key from the ring and threw it over to him.“Here’s the key, I like you to stay but you never listened to me anyway. Neither now or in the past.
The merest twitch passed over Andrims face for a fleeting second as the words left his father’s mouth, he knew that all too well.
“Please don’t talk about it father. I been going over it in my mind far too many times already”

Words, so beautiful, potent and simple but no matter however much you wish to take them back you can’t, no matter how you wish for it. Like now.

“So we’re letting that other blacksmith take care about the gold Andrim”?

If Andrim was the type to slap himself that was exactly what he would do, his own little blue bulb of mayhem had struck just after arriving from a tour with his father’s own fairy, which gave of a bronze colored glow.
The change over his fathers face was instant, the previous smile in his face and warmth in his eyes disappeared “Why would you give it to him?”“I made up my mind father”

“then you won’t change your opinion. Take it and go” was all his father responded to this piece of news before leaving the chair and walking away to some other room with his fairy following him, their reuniting obviously at an awkward end. “Was that necessary Direya? We won’t return here any time soon because of that” he said with a sigh, he hadn’t wished to let his father know that particular piece of information.
“Yes it was, if something happens your father won’t get dragged into it. And better he hears it from us than from him”.

Andrim just gave a brief nod, what she said was true. She did think things through no matter what impression she might give, well she did at most times at least. Flicking his finger towards himself Direya flew over and set her on the usual place at his shoulder as they walked through the living room and towards the door into the storeroom, the most important room in the building next to the workplace.

Placing the key into the lock he turned it, feeling the lock in the door give way without any resistance he opened to it and walked into a room filled with an blacksmiths dream. Outlining every wall there were shelfs with different metals on each and every one of them. Everything from common copper, iron, tin to the rarer metals consisting of ones like gold, silver and even more. These were as important as trash to Andrim right now. On the wall there were two small metal doors hiding something which actually interested him more than anything put upon the shelf’s.

Opening them he was pleased with the sight that meet his eyes. There was a brick of white mixed together with a faint beautiful blue, the same color as that of the moonlight that fell down at every moon day. The interesting aspect of this type of white gold was that it grew, almost like a plant, some elf’s had even tried to classify it as one because of this. And if you got your hands on a young specimen like he had and grew it properly the results were outstanding. Comparing the difference between it and a regular sample to a wild flower and one you cultivate yourself would not be misleading. Especially after having been showered in the moonlight for ten long years. Now the light it shone pulsated evenly. Placing his hand on top of it he felt the steady beating. He was glad that he had melted and processed it properly ten years ago.

Stretching out his hands he carefully picked it up, delighted by the faint warmth which spread in his hands, if he had to choose a favorite metal it would definitively be this one. More radiant and durable than silver and more beautiful than regular gold. When looking at it like this the money invested was a cheap price to pay. Holding his hand over it he concentrated for a moment and felt it grow warmer. Yes everything had been done correctly.

Placing it into the box he brought with him he left the room and went towards the door to the outside where his father waited for him. “Leave your keys here Andrim, for the time I like you not to have them”. Andrim paused for a moment at the door before stretching out his hand and opening it. “Haven’t you noticed father? I left them in my room when I left” and with that he departed from the house he had grown up in and which he doubted he would ever return to.

A few minutes later he was outside a new house, as well decorated with different designs of metal like if it wanted to compete with his old home. Which was exactly what it wanted, this family and his own had been in a sort of rival relationship for ages and that rivality seemed to have seeped into the very houses during the years, giving constant birth to new designs and looks on them in an everlasting competition. No wonder his father had got upset over his son handing over this work to him instead of to his own flesh and blood.

The door opened without a sound after he had knocked, it was so massive you would expect the hinges would squeal like a pig at the slaughter but he wasn’t the least surprised at them not giving a sound. And there was the man he seeked, Dref.

Dref eyed the elf he found outside the door with dislike as he had no problem recognizing him even with the cloak and the changes that come with time. It wasn’t that he had anything against him personally, just that he was the son of the man he had something against. It was the way a dog would view a cat with dislike, it lay on a more primal level than common sense.

“Hello. I would like to have this metal made” Andrim said as he dumped an heavy object into his arms. Eyes widening when opening the box a fragment and realizing what it was that he held, “into these shapes in this way” he finished while handing over to him a couple of papers as well. Without even casting a glance on them he knew this was going to be easy. Because he had no intentions of taking this job.

“No. I'm not working during a moon festival”“I need this done to tomorrow I’m afraid”“Hey listen I just told you I refuse. Find some other blacksmith, why should I do this?”
“You’re a blacksmith. I am a customer. I don’t see the problem. You will do this” he spoke in a way that intoned that it was no longer a matter of his own opinion. He would do this whether he wished or not. And almost as if unconscious about it moved his arms so that his cloak flapped open for a moment to reveal the weapons he carried. Two near identical round blades of some sort, the only difference one being white the other black and one hammer. Suddenly the memory of what his own father had told him once flapped into his mind. That refusing someone with weapons might not be the best carrier choice, still he knew that Andrim was employed by the council so he wouldn’t do anything would he? Still the nervousness that comes to anybody refusing the man with weapons came over him as well.

“But the moon festival”“Will be back in one month” “Time”
Why did those eyes stare so intently at him? It made him feel even worse. It was like he took care to memorize the words and store them for later inspection. He never realized how awful it could be to have someone who really listened to you.

“You got plenty of”
Dref began to feel like his brain was an open book, he got answers before he even finished his argument.

“But I don’t”“want to work on an rare metal like this?”“That’s not”“You mean I should ask my father instead? I’m sure he would be delighted”.“No I do it” The words left his mouth so fast it took him a second to understand it was he that said them. “Excellent. The payment will be paid when I come back to collect”
“Fine” he said as his shoulders sagged, it appeared he would work during a moon day after all.

“Well goodbye then Andrim. I will stay here. So try anything funny you oaf and I…. I. I get Andrim” Direya finished her input in the conversation she herself had jumped into lamely. Feeling herself how bad a finish this was she continued “Not that I need him, just that it's he who will pay so he should be the one most upset if you do anything. You see and” nodding to his companion Andrim said goodbye to each one of them, interrupting Direya before she dragged him into the blooming argument and left the fairy with an extremely relieved blacksmith who was on more common ground with an honest argument. He felt like he got cheated during the last one.

Andrim and Direya had already decided she be there just in case anything went wrong. Picking up the papper that Pirn had gave him he shook his head sligthly, that dwarf seemed to love to insult him. Not being employed after the decades he spent in the council, the mere thought of it was laughable. Still he was glad the way his vacation was phrased. "An undetermined time" he now had all the time he needed. Time he could use to visit her. It had been far too long since his last visit.